Monday 21 September 2009 07.56 EDT
First published on Monday 21 September 2009 07.56 EDT

The local mine is a mere three miles away and is clearly visible from the offices of the Brecon Mountain Railway in Merthyr Tydfil.

But regulations about how it can be transported mean that coal for the railway's newly converted steam train comes not from the south Wales valleys but from Siberia, 3,000 miles away.

Coal from the Ffos-y-Fran opencast mine in Merthyr has to be moved by rail rather than road. As there is no rail link from the mine to the railway, coal for the converted engine comes from the wilds of Siberia via rail to the ports, then container ship to Hull, then by road to Merthyr.

The railway owner, Jayne Hills, said: "It seems ludicrous that we could get coal from three miles away but instead are being forced to import it from 3,000 miles away. I dread to think what the carbon footprint must be like of moving that coal but we have no choice."

Hills said it was even more galling because the local coal was perfect for use in a steam locomotive. It generates steam quickly and maintains its heat.

The railway would like to convert another of its locomotives to steam from oil but is reluctant to do so in case it becomes impossible to get the coal.

"Being from Merthyr, where everyone has a relative who was a coal miner, or knew somebody who was a miner, this seems just crazy," she said.

The mine operator, Miller Argent, said it was not just the railway that had to source coal from faraway locations despite there being a mine close by. Local coal merchants who supply homes, pubs, schools and hospitals were also having to look elsewhere for their supply because the mine's planning permission stipulated it could only move coal by rail.

The joint managing director, James Poyner, said: "Welsh dry steam coal used to power the world's railways and ships. It seems odd that local people and businesses are not allowed access to it."

Up to 20,000 tonnes of coal a week is dug at the site and the bulk of it goes to the Aberthaw power station, near Cardiff. The company has its own sidings, connected to a branch line and then to the main line so that coal can be moved farther afield. But the Brecon railway and others have found that it makes more sense to go to the Siberians rather than try to get the Merthyr coal back to their area.

Miller Argent is now applying for permission to move a relatively small amount of coal by road rather than rail, though some residents have objected because they don't want more lorries on the road.